Here is my quick story...the previous owner (also original owner) rigged things together for 40 years. I am fixing/correcting/updating. We have a 1600 sq ft split level home. Our attics get incredibly hot. They have a new roof installed August of 2005. They had a ridge vent installed at this time. Here is where the problems start...I believe the prev owner installed the siding. The soffits have notches as if there are soffit vents. However, the attic still gets amazingly hot during the summer. There are also gable vents...Today I had my wife shine two strong flash lights into the vents from underneath. I was in the attic with no light. Didn't see anything. I tried to reach out but it's a sharp angle with nails from the roof just overhead. I noticed that the loose insulation is right against the angle. So, I went under the soffit with a hanger and poked through the slots. It was solid on about 3 vents I tested. This tells me that they installed the soffits but never had a soffit vent.

Any thoughts?

I am considering installing two roof mounted attic fans. If I fix the soffit problem would it alleviate this need???

tinner666

01-05-2008 08:20 PM

You MUST fix the soffits! That will create an airflow along the roof deck from top to bottom.
2 power fans would create an exhaust, but where would they pull the air from? You would still still a lot of open soffit and that combined with the ridgevent willcause each other to short circuit each other and do nothing to help the situation.

gone_fishing

01-05-2008 08:24 PM

Question #1...do I pull soffit siding off to cut the holes?
Question #2...how many openings and what type?
Question #3...do I cut the holes on both sides of the house?

tinner666

01-05-2008 09:20 PM

1 & 2. Depends on the type, set up, looks and/or difficulty factor of each particular soffit. More and bigger hole the better. Figure lenght of ridge vent X3" for square inch/footage and at least match or better that with soffit holes.
3. Yes

tinner666

01-05-2008 09:26 PM

The soffits have notches as if there are soffit vents. Please define notches.

tinner666

01-05-2008 09:28 PM

How wide are the soffits? If vinyl or aluminum, you might be able to remove some, cut holes as needed, screen over them, and replace the soffit material.

Even if those lanced soffit panels had the wood cut out on the interior side of them, they would not provide sufficient intake ventilation.

Power vents installed will make the ridge vent act as an intake vent. Path of least resistance.

Probably the best fix, unless you intend on doing a new roof in the near future, is to remove all of the aluminum soffit panels and reinstall all new 100% vented soffit panels. The wood on the original soffit would need to be cut out to allow the air entry into the intake slots.

There are other alternatives too, but it depends on your short/long term plans.

Tinner gave you good advice for a starting point.

Ed

tinner666

01-06-2008 07:52 AM

Good pics. Sider put those slotted ones in the break the pattern. As Ed pointed out, they won't offer any help. You need to replace the soffit panels with the fully vented ones after cutting and screening.

gone_fishing

01-06-2008 02:33 PM

Sounds like I have my first Spring project. Thanks guys!

Educator

01-06-2008 09:47 PM

Once you have some vents, you might also want to consider installing a wind trubine vent, you know the ones that stick up about a foot and look like an oval.

The attic in our newly purchased 20 year old house was unbelievably hot during the summer, yet we check on the proper venting from the soffits.

The new 40 year black shingles on the roof didn't help with easing the heat. It was so hot that we could feel it coming back into the house through the attic access from one of the bedroom closets.

What did the trick for us was to (A) add a vent on the roof with a regular vent cover over the attached garage and (B) on an existing roof vent install one of these wind turbine vents. The part inside will move from the heat trying to escape from the attic, thus causing a natural pull of the hot air in the attic to the outside.

You've seen these on roofs of commercial and industrial buildings all the time. HD sells then for less than $100.

Ed the Roofer

01-06-2008 10:41 PM

If you follow the previous posters advice, you will be short-circuiting the effective ventilation from the soffit vents to the ridge vents.

That would add to the internal quandry and shorten the life of the shingles.

Ed

the roofing god

01-06-2008 10:49 PM

just remove the fascia cover,then the panels,cut a 2"strip down the center of the soffit area,then install the same panels,and recap w/new aluminum fascia--you`ll get plenty of breathing with those panels as there is an opening where the fascia cover laps the soffit panel that will also work for intake after the wood strip is cut out

Ed the Roofer

01-06-2008 11:00 PM

On this point, I disagree with TRG, since the solid panels will be fastened tight enough to the remaining wood soffit structure so as to not allow a proper enough amount of air flowage to enter through the minimal slot cut out.

Also, the majority of the lanced perforation will not be in alignment with that 2" slot, so therefor will not achieve the air flowage needed.

Additionally, the lanced and perforated panels are phenominal for their aspect of allowing the lanced slots or perforations to coagulate with accumulated dust particulite debris, thereby inhibiting their performance levels.

The spacing of the existing panels, even if the old wood soffit had previously been cut away, to allow for air flowage, would more than likely still been substantially inadequate, so by reducing them even further, you would not be assisting your desired results.

Ed

ShortEdged

01-06-2008 11:14 PM

Gable Vents

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed the Roofer
(Post 86297)

If you follow the previous posters advice, you will be short-circuiting the effective ventilation from the soffit vents to the ridge vents.

That would add to the internal quandry and shorten the life of the shingles.